u think we go tight end in the first round ... i think the best TE in the draft will be there when we draft ..??? or do u think we let wade get a Def player in the 1st agian

I think it will be defense. I don't see Barwin coming back & I don't see them getting rid of OD & Graham stepped up his game as well. The TE's projected to be 1st rounders are known for catching more then blocking & a good blocking TE is what is somewhat needed. The other need is o-lineman, but it seems this draft is deep w/ o-lineman. I also believe a decent WR can be had in the 2nd. Either way, I think TE is way down the list of needs.

I think it will be defense. I don't see Barwin coming back & I don't see them getting rid of OD & Graham stepped up his game as well. The TE's projected to be 1st rounders are known for catching more then blocking & a good blocking TE is what is somewhat needed. The other need is o-lineman, but it seems this draft is deep w/ o-lineman. I also believe a decent WR can be had in the 2nd. Either way, I think TE is way down the list of needs.

I agree with most of this, although I think Barwin will be back next season, I agree that we go Defense in the 1st (hopefully a NT), and then trade up into the upper 2nd round and take the best WR available, and O-line and ILB in the 3rd. I agree TE is a priority but a lower one, probably in the 5th or 6th round. Of course all of this depends on who's available to us at #27. If there's a run on WR in the 1st then we'll probably go WR so that we make sure to get a good one.

I would prefer for us not to draft a TE in the first round; however, that doesn't mean Tyler Eifert is only known as a pass catching TE. He's a complete TE who can help both phases of the offense. He's strong enough to block in-line and he's quick enough to perform a wham block or a cross block.

I agree with most of this, although I think Barwin will be back next season, I agree that we go Defense in the 1st (hopefully a NT), and then trade up into the upper 2nd round and take the best WR available, and O-line and ILB in the 3rd. I agree TE is a priority but a lower one, probably in the 5th or 6th round. Of course all of this depends on who's available to us at #27. If there's a run on WR in the 1st then we'll probably go WR so that we make sure to get a good one.

The only reason I don't believe Barwin will be back is because their are other teams switching to the 3-4 & have money to spend. Cleveland, Indy, & the Jags are just few & every season someone over spends on certain players. I think Barwin could easily be one of those players & the Texans will hav to let him walk. I don't know about NT in the 1st based on Wade's philosophy. He simply doesn't seem to put much emphasis on the position using smaller players & not necessarily the most talented ones. I don't think Cody had much to offer & he kept plugging him in. I think Mitchell will be given the nod from here on out & they possibly draft another in the mid to lower round. I hope I'm wrong, but based on Wade's history I wouldn't be surprised if NT is overlooked again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 76Texan

I would prefer for us not to draft a TE in the first round; however, that doesn't mean Tyler Eifert is only known as a pass catching TE. He's a complete TE who can help both phases of the offense. He's strong enough to block in-line and he's quick enough to perform a wham block or a cross block.

02/22/13 - Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert is widely considered one of the top tight end prospects in this draft class, and he might be the first player selected at the position. But as talented as he is, especially as a pass-catcher, Eifert understands that he needs to improve as a blocker. “Blocking has been what everyone said I was lacking,” Eifert said. “So I've spent a lot of time working on my blocking with coaches, working on the technique things. The little things like footwork and hand placement. It's the little things that make a big difference.”

Now I have read that Eifert looks as if he improved his blocking this last season, but one thing is for sure...he is known as a pass catching TE & even he realizes that based on his quote above. Eifert even stated that he tried convincing the Texans that he was capable of blocking by using his film in their interview. If he was truly a "complete" player at TE then there would be no need to prove anything. His past performances would speak for themselves. Obviously that's not the case by Eiferts own admission.

The Texans are in the same position they were last season concerning the TE position & were even worse off concerning the salary cap when the highly touted Fleener was coming out & they chose to stay put w/ Graham & OD. I don't see the situation changing because OD had a very good season & Graham showed he could contribute. TE is not a need & I believe it is down the list based on that. Eifert would be a great addition if there were not other glaring needs.

I've watched tons of games of the Fighting Irish the last two years.
Eifert is at least as good as Graham was (at Wisconsin), I would say better - in blocking (though Graham has improved a lot since then.)

Eifert is already better than O.D. in this department.
People wants a TE drafted in the first round to prove his worth in all facets of the game; that's what it is.
But Eifert is better than Fleener (Stanford) at blocking.
Book it!

The Texans are in the same position they were last season concerning the TE position & were even worse off concerning the salary cap when the highly touted Fleener was coming out & they chose to stay put w/ Graham & OD. I don't see the situation changing because OD had a very good season & Graham showed he could contribute. TE is not a need & I believe it is down the list based on that. Eifert would be a great addition if there were not other glaring needs.

I don't agree with this. I think TE is a need and Kubiak even said they took a risk last year by going with only 2 TE's plus Casey on the roster. When Graham was injured last season it really hurt the offense because they couldn't run their 2 TE sets. It really showed in the NE game where they struggled to get any offense going. Now I'm not going to tell you the Texans will draft a TE in the 1st, but I'll be surprised if they don't get one somewhere in the mid rounds. It's a pretty deep class for TE's this year. I just hope they get one of the taller ones out there (6'5" or 6'6"). They don't need another OD/Graham clone IMO. And, if can block really well, that will be a plus.

I've watched tons of games of the Fighting Irish the last two years.
Eifert is at least as good as Graham was (at Wisconsin), I would say better - in blocking (though Graham has improved a lot since then.)

Eifert is already better than O.D. in this department.
People wants a TE drafted in the first round to prove his worth in all facets of the game; that's what it is.
But Eifert is better than Fleener (Stanford) at blocking.
Book it!

And once again, Fleener & Elfert are touted for their pass catching skills & not their blocking skills. Eifert admitted it so I'm not sure why you are in denial. I think he knows where he needs to improve his own game & he's on record w/ it. I never said Eifert wasn't good, but he's not what the Texans need which very similar to Fleener last season.

Considering OD is playing in the NFL & has performed at a high level over the years & Eifert has yet to step on an NFL field, I think its a bit foolish to say Eifert has surpassed OD in any aspect of the game. How about we let Eifert get at least an NFL practice in before we say he is surpassing others who are proven...in the NFL. Just a thought...

I never said the Texans wouldn't draft a TE, but the need is down the list & thus the position could be drafted later in the draft & still get a quality player such as McDonald out of Rice. I simply don't see TE getting drafted prior to the 4th round when its said & done.

And once again, Fleener & Elfert are touted for their pass catching skills & not their blocking skills. Eifert admitted it so I'm not sure why you are in denial. I think he knows where he needs to improve his own game & he's on record w/ it. I never said Eifert wasn't good, but he's not what the Texans need which very similar to Fleener last season.

Considering OD is playing in the NFL & has performed at a high level over the years & Eifert has yet to step on an NFL field, I think its a bit foolish to say Eifert has surpassed OD in any aspect of the game. How about we let Eifert get at least an NFL practice in before we say he is surpassing others who are proven...in the NFL. Just a thought...

I never said the Texans wouldn't draft a TE, but the need is down the list & thus the position could be drafted later in the draft & still get a quality player such as McDonald out of Rice. I simply don't see TE getting drafted prior to the 4th round when its said & done.

If you're gonna based your opinion on somebody else's, you might want to make sure you read it correctly for one. Eifert used the wrong verb tense when he described what some people were saying (ie. before last season).

If you really read the whole piece and then read some other pieces as well, you would be a better picture.

I've been concentrating a lot on receivers and tight ends the last 3 drafts, I can tell which guy (that I did watch a lot) is a good blocker. I have made several good calls on them, including Anthony Hill whom I thought was not a good pick that could have been easily replaced by Brandon Myers (now with the Raiders.)
I called that one because I saw Myers as a much better blocker, and even though he wasn't targeted much in college, I can see that his receiving skills are there (at least as good as Hill.)

If you're gonna based your opinion on somebody else's, you might want to make sure you read it correctly for one. Eifert used the wrong verb tense when he described what some people were saying (ie. before last season).

If you really read the whole piece and then read some other pieces as well, you would be a better picture.

I've been concentrating a lot on receivers and tight ends the last 3 drafts, I can tell which guy (that I did watch a lot) is a good blocker. I have made several good calls on them, including Anthony Hill whom I thought was not a good pick that could have been easily replaced by Brandon Myers (now with the Raiders.)
I called that one because I saw Myers as a much better blocker, and even though he wasn't targeted much in college, I can see that his receiving skills are there (at least as good as Hill.)

LOL! Now you know what he "meant" to say compared to what he wad actually quoted as saying. Classic...you got it all figured out because if they don't say what you want you just correct the quote. Forget using their actual words. It's SOOOO overrated. I got it now.

Just for the record, I read all of the info considering I found the quote & posted it to countered some of the info that you seem to be shooting from the hip with. I'm basing my opinion off of what I have seen, read, & believe it or not based on what the actual player themselves are saying about their own skills. I know its kinda risky doing the latter, but I believe they can give a quote w/out always needing someone, such as yourself, to tell them what they actually meant. LOL!

Great call on Anthony Hill by the way. That was a tough one that I'm sure no one thought was a potential bust considering most projected him as a late round project player primarily known for blocking. No real high expectations by any means. Not necessarily the most difficult projection, but if its your claim to fame....by all means run w/ it.

Great call on Anthony Hill by the way. That was a tough one that I'm sure no one thought was a potential bust considering most projected him as a late round project player primarily known for blocking. No real high expectations by any means. Not necessarily the most difficult projection, but if its your claim to fame....by all means run w/ it.

You ought to know what I said about Brandon Myers was this: "I haven't enjoyed watching a TE blocking this much in a few years" and what I said about Hill: "Not very good in his lateral movement ==> will get beat in one-on-one blocking, especially when the edge rusher lines up wide".

Eifert and Ertz both look like really good prospects at TE and I think Eifert is a slightly better blocker but both guys are both pretty good and I think they both have a shot going in the first round (Which means that I probably wouldn't have the Texans pick them at #27 unless they were the highest rated pass catcher left on the board, which probably means about 5 WR's are already gone).